


Klance Through the Ages

by peterp4rkour



Category: Lance McClain - Fandom, Voltron - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender, keith kogane - Fandom, klance - Fandom, vld - Fandom
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-06-09
Packaged: 2020-04-23 17:57:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,292
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19156048
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peterp4rkour/pseuds/peterp4rkour
Summary: How far does the gap between love and hate stretch? Can Lance bridge the distance by will alone, and if so, who will stand at the receiving end?





	Klance Through the Ages

At 13, Lance wonders if this is envy- the heat, the yearning, the frustration sparking in his chest every time he catches a glimpse of that same dark hair at the front of the class. It gathers at the nape of Keith’s neck in a pointed tuft, and staring at Keith’s neck quickly turns into staring at Keith’s shoulders, at the sharp slope of bone joining arm to torso. How could someone so scrawny be such a good pilot? How could someone so small harbor so much fury?

“McClain!” Lance’s eyes snap up at the sound of their instructor’s voice, but not before he notices the way Keith stiffens in his seat. He’s not so sure why the reaction is strangely satisfying, and he’s not so sure he’d want to know why.  
———  
At 15, Lance wonders if this is hate. His legs are bouncing frantically, and he’s far too distracted to really follow Iverson’s bland rant concerning the disappearance of a certain Galaxy Garrison student. Oh no, he’s much more focused on the idea of locating said student himself.

  
The heat in his chest is more than a spark now, it’s a flame, bright and burning with fervor. Lance can barely breathe from the intensity of it. His thoughts are racing, but all he can think is ‘Where?’ Where could Keith have gone? Where was he now? Did he have somewhere to stay, to sleep? Was he even alive?

  
How could someone so talented abandon everything that’s been handed to him, while Lance spent years pushing so hard to just be good enough? Right when he thinks they’re finally tied for first place, his rival drops out with no care for custom. You don’t just abandon people. You don’t just abandon rivalries.  
———  
At 16, Lance wonders if this is triumph. He’s on the roof of the Galaxy Garrison, eyes peering through binoculars at a familiar head of hair. His heart is a snare drum in his chest. “I’d know that mullet anywhere.” The declaration sits sour on his tongue, but his smirk is sweet with enthusiasm.

  
‘I found you, Kogane. There’s no running from me now.’ When his boot makes contact with that door and violet eyes alight in surprise, Lance feels alive for the first time in a year. There is no sweeter warmth than a fire long cold and reignited.  
———  
At 17, Lance wonders if this is misery. His eyes are trapped between Keith’s retreating back and Allura’s sad smile, and his heart is trapped between jealousy and defeat. The worst part is, he’s not entirely sure who the jealousy is directed at.

  
Keith’s shoulders aren’t quite so scrawny anymore. They’re broad and lean with muscle, straining against the fabric of his Marmora bodysuit. His hair is longer now and wild enough to match his temper. Lance recalls a distant memory, of fluorescent lights and a white classroom, of Iverson’s droning and the bitter tang of abandonment. He feels like he’s losing something all over again, like maybe he never really got it back in the first place.  
———  
At 18, Lance wonders if this is friendship. His feet are tucked beneath his legs and the metal of Black’s cranium. The sun shines in shades of orange peaking over the horizon, and Keith’s hair is tinted red by the rays reaching for them atop his lion, the dark hue rivaled only by Lance’s burning cheeks.

  
“But seriously,” the black paladin mumbles without glancing in his direction, “ditch the outfit.” Lance chuckles softly, feeling content in a way that he’s never experienced. Part of him is tempted to spend the rest of his evening here. For a moment, the proposal is nearly enticing enough to vie with his other plans, but Lance isn’t the kind of guy to ditch a girl on a first date, especially not an alien princess who’s finally humbling him after countless pursuits.

  
“Thanks, Mullet.” Lance claps Keith once on the shoulder, a familiar gesture between them, before rising to his feet. He pretends not to notice the subtle twitch of Keith’s mouth as he turns away from the sunset, and he pretends not to notice how his thoughts keep drifting to Keith as the night progresses.  
———  
At 19, Lance wonders if this is affection. His nose is buried in the dip between Keith’s neck and shoulder, dark hair tickling his face. Keith’s arms are tight around his back. They pull apart simultaneously, both looking a little sheepish. “Send me a postcard from space,” Lance teases, straightening the wrinkles in his Garrison uniform. Keith is dressed in the standard Blades of Marmora suit, looking as handsome and intimidating as any Galran soldier. Together, they make quite a formidable pair of former paladins- a renowned Garrison instructor and a legendary Blade, leading the betterment of a broken empire.

  
“I’ll make a pit stop at the colony,” Keith adds, eyes downcast. “Visit with Allura, maybe.” But Keith’s hesitancy is unnecessary, and Lance tries to assure him of that with a knuckle swipe to the chin. Allura’s departure was bittersweet but a pain long dulled. He could never begrudge her for choosing her people over her paladins. She was a queen, after all. How could he ask her to spend her years living such a mundane life on earth when a destiny so profound awaited her among the stars?  
Watching Keith’s back retreat is a familiar sight and a familiar pain, but Lance knows this time is different because Keith is not.. Keith has always been the same.  
———  
At 20, Lance wonders if this is love. He feels the breath catch in his throat as the Galran ship flattens the grass outside of the classroom windows. Like a chorus, the students all turn to follow his line of sight, and a small cheer erupts among the crowd. “Mr. McClain’s boyfriend is back!” someone quips.  
Lance’s face floods with heat, and he clears his throat. “That’s enough of that,” he warns, trying not to crack a smile. Diffusing their excitement is a task for the remainder of the period. The dismissal bell rings for a split second before the students are filing out of the class, their voices a cacophony of noise that washes out the shrill school bell. Lance is standing behind his desk with his arms crossed awkwardly over his chest when Keith walks in, and he makes a fleeting decision to uncross them, deeming it too much of a ‘Keith-like’ pose.

  
“Long time no see, Mullet.” Lance can’t hide his grin a second longer. It ripples across his face like sunlight on water, mirroring Keith’s own giddy smile.  
———  
At 21, Lance wonders if this is forever. He’s sitting on the front porch of Keith’s old shack, the sun’s setting rays illuminating their faces. The scene is oddly reminiscent of another distant sunset, another memory. A lot has changed since then, but never them, still neck and neck. ‘Well, maybe us...’ Lance thinks, ‘just a little bit.’

  
They’re older now, less hostile, less confused, especially Lance. Keith’s hand lingers on his knee, and he’s looking into those violet eyes with all the certainty in the world. It’s Keith. It’s always been Keith.

  
Lance’s name is a question slipping from his lips, so he answers it by closing the distance between their mouths. That same fire is roaring in his chest, warming him from the inside out to his finger tips. His hands tangle in the silk of Keith’s hair, and Keith’s hands settle around his midsection like puzzle pieces, a perfect fit. Their breath mingles between sighs held for far too long.  
Lance is done looking at Keith’s back as fate pulls them in opposite directions. From now on, he only wants Keith Kogane facing him, not away nor against.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you guys for reading! This is my first published work on AO3, but there will be many more to come if it’s received well enough. I have a deep seated love for Klance, so it will probably be the most active of my fandom contributions!


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